First unit at the Czech Temelín plant resumes electricity production after a two-month outage

The first unit of the Temelín nuclear power plant began generating electricity again today after a planned two-month outage. Operators connected it to the transmission grid after replacing a quarter of its fuel assemblies during the outage. The outage of Temelín’s second unit will begin in the second half of August, Temelín spokesperson Marek Sviták told journalists today.

The first Temelín unit began generating electricity today after 13:00, with the reactor operating at 50 percent capacity. It is expected to reach full capacity in a few days. „Bringing a unit back online after a fuel replacement outage is always a very gradual process. It involves a series of checks to confirm that the unit is ready for safe and reliable operation,“ said Jan Kruml, director of the Temelín power plant. Energy workers now face a series of tests; once the reactor reaches 80 percent capacity, they will verify that power is distributed evenly. They will also monitor other equipment, especially the turbine.